September 23, 2006-6am

Derek headed into the OR, only glancing at Meredith once, hoping to not make her feel uncomfortable. He knew that she really should pay attention to this surgery. After all, this was only her first aneurysm clipping. As he began the surgery, he got an idea, "Dr. Grey?"

Meredith looked up from the body at the table, "Yes, Dr. Shepherd?"

"Come here," he said as he moved over a little, making room for her. She was a little hesitant at first. She looked around and everyone's eyes told her to go. She unfolded her arms and slowly walked across the room.

"Take this," he said into her ear handing a tool towards her. Once again, she was a little hesitant, but she grasped the tool, and awaited further direction. "Now, you see that there?" he asked as he pointed something out with another tool. As she nodded, he slowly placed his left hand on the small of her back, "Now, take the tool," he said as he wrapped his hand around hers to guide her, "Wrap the coil around the aneurysm," he said as she tried not to focus on his hot breath against her skin.


September 23, 2006-11am

Cryptic words meander
Now there is a song beneath the song
One day you'll learn
You'll soon discern its true meaning
An interesting detachment
A listless poem of love sincere
Desire, despair
Overlapping melodies

Once everything was done and Derek let go of her hand, she relaxed almost immediately. He had no idea how much he'd been torturing her. She pulled off her gloves and hurried into the scrub room. She ripped off her mask and began to roughly wash her hands. She wasn't really sure why she was mad, but anger had to be what she was feeling.

Derek walked into the scrub room, but she didn't acknowledge him. He began to wash his hands calmly as she finished up and dried hers. As she headed towards the door, he turned the water off and looked towards her, "Mer?"

Meredith turned around without thinking, "Yeah?"

"It's not just you."

She didn't respond, but Derek watched as her forehead wrinkled and he had to hide a smile. He loved it when she did that. He dried off his hands and walked past her before she spoke, "What?"

He leaned towards her and whispered into her ear, "I can't get you out of my head either." Without another glance, he turned around and walked out, the door swinging closed behind him. Meredith was stunned.

And it's not a love, it's not a love
It's not a love, it's not a love song


September 23, 2006-5pm

"Derek?"

Derek turned around and saw the last person he'd expected to see, the last person he wanted to see, "Addison."

"I checked the board, you're free for the rest of the night. I thought maybe we could spend the night at home. Just the two of us. We haven't spent much time together lately," Addison said, praying that he'd agree.

Derek knew he didn't have a way to get out of this. She was right; he didn't have any surgeries tonight. He actually had time to be somewhere other than the hospital. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, accidentally showing his reluctance, "Yeah, sure."

"Okay, I'll meet you downstairs in fifteen minutes!" Addison said excitedly before hurrying away from Derek.


September 23, 2006-5:10pm

Meredith knew she was going to regret this. Of course she would. She was about to do something that most would consider stupid. And she was sure that afterwards she'd agree with them, leading to the regretfullness, but this is how she's been doing things lately, so oh well.

"Derek?"

Derek turned around and saw Meredith. He'd already changed and she had too. She looked beautiful. She wasn't wearing anything spectacular or any different then she usually did, but it was amazing to Derek. "Yeah?" he asked walking closer to her.

"I think, we should, well, talk," she stammered out, "About, well, everything. Like tonight. We could go for a drink or something and just figure everything out."

Derek could tell that she was nervous. He thought it was cute: the way she fidgeted with her fingers against her jeans while her other hand continued to grasp her purse handle tightly. Everything in him was telling him to just go. Go and be with her. "I, I umm-"

"Derek!" a voice from behind Meredith interrupted them. Meredith turned around as Derek redirected his eyesight. They both caught a glance of Addison walking towards them before they turned back towards each other.

"Oh, I understand," Meredith said as she walked past Derek.

Derek quickly grabbed her arm and pulled her back towards him. "Tomorrow. Tomorrow night, we can talk."

Meredith looked away from him and shook her head, "No. I get it, I was just being stupid. I get it," she said trying to pull her arm away from him.

Derek didn't loosen his grasp on her, "Please, tomorrow."

Meredith looked up at him and saw the sincerity and hopefulness in his eyes. She knew she couldn't make herself decline that. She sighed and relaxed as Derek let go of her, "Fine."

"Thank you," Derek said as Addison caught up to them and Meredith began to walk away. She looked back and saw them walking together. A tear ran down her face and she wiped it away, wondering why it was there and ignoring the fact that she knew. After all, she was going home alone, but he still got to go with his wife.

I hear the crystal raindrops fall
On the window down the hall
And it becomes the morning dew
Darling, when the morning comes
And I see the morning sun
I want to be the one with you